The Perils of Post-its!
by Mahala
Summary: Short team fic in which Mac, Danny and Adam's investigation at a crime scene has unusual consequences, Jo and Lindsay get a little more than they bargained for, Don manages to keep things together, Ellie gets a surprise and Sid and Sheldon save the day. [Mac/Jo] [Danny/Lindsay]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Disclaimer : See profile. Additional disclaimer : the following piece of silliness was written while under the influence of an overdose of caffeine and oat and raisin cookies due to intense badgering by Kay. It's just for fun, probably OTT, more than a little OOC and definitely not to be taken seriously.**

**The Perils of Post-its!**

It was a good dream. A very good dream. He felt warm and relaxed, his limbs heavy and languid. He revelled in the comfort desperately clinging onto the last vestiges of his rapidly fading dream. He could feel reality gently nudging him. He ignored it. But it persisted. He tried to resist it but the memory inevitably evaporated, leaving him only with the impression of a good dream. He knew he was smiling.

Something intruded into his semi-conscious state, something irritating. He wiggled his nose but it refused to go away. He forced a heavy lid open just a crack and tried to see what it was but to no avail. He concentrated hard and opened the other eye. He blinked. His whole world appeared to have turned a strange shade of lime green. He frowned or tried to. Something was preventing him drawing his brows together. With an almost Herculean effort he managed to get through to his befuddled brain that something was covering his face and that it needed to move his hand and remove the offending object.

He groaned as every muscle in his body protested at the movement but eventually his hand reached his face. His fingers explored the object.

_Approximately two inches by four. Paper. Trace of glue on upper edge._

The scientific part of the brain kicked in first. He marshalled his fingers and pulled the paper away from his face. He could feel the slight tug of his skin as the glue was pulled away. He blinked again and looked at the paper. He turned it round and screwed up his eyes trying to focus on the words written there. Just three words written in short stubby capitals with a black pen:

'NO SUDDEN MOVES!'

"What the hell?" He sat up.

_Big mistake!_

His stomach protested and bile rose in his throat. The room heaved and lurched and began to spin and an entire symphony orchestra of drummers took up residence inside his skull. He collapsed back into the pillows, squeezing his eyes tight shut and waited for things to calm down. He took several deep breaths and the nausea abated slightly. He licked his lips realizing how dry they were. His whole mouth seemed to be devoid of saliva. Little by little the drummers stopped until the symphony was replaced with a dull little quartet. Clearly he should have heeded the note. He lay there quietly, grateful that he was lying in bed.

Bed, his brain squawked!

Like some subliminal image that he hadn't realized he'd seen, a picture popped into his mind, that of purple sheets with strange psychedelic whorls. Not plain beige!

He risked opening an eye. The room behaved itself. He risked opening the other one and stared at the bed. He blinked but the purple psychedelic whorls refused to transform themselves into sensible plain beige.

_Not his bed! _

Very slowly he swivelled his eyes to the left. A night-stand stood there screaming at him. Not literally screaming but the messages written in short stubby capitals did. Attached to the porcelain lamp was a note that said, 'STAY PUT! BACK SOON!' Another sitting at a jaunty angle on a high-ball glass ordered him to 'DRINK ME!' and another attached to a box of painkillers recommended. 'TAKE TWO!' It all sounded very sensible to him especially the second. His desperate need for water overcame his curiosity and very gingerly he pulled himself into a semi-recumbent position, half propped up among the pillows like a Roman senator. He reached for the glass and was shocked to find that his hand was trembling. He concentrated and managed to guide it to his lips downing half the glass in one go. He replaced it on the night-stand.

The effort of drinking had left him exhausted and he sank back into the pillows with a sigh. His urgent need for a drink quenched, he turned his attention to the room. A row of fitted cupboards covered one wall, their gold drop handles gleaming brightly in the sun that peeped through the gaps in the Venetian blinds that covered the windows on the opposite wall. There was a closed door set to the right of the bed. Next to it was a large dresser. He blinked. Alarm bells began to ring. He stared at the dresser not quite willing to believe what his eyes were telling him. He stared at the basket of cosmetics, the brushes, the jewellery box, a slim elegant jewellery stand in the shape of a white tree that was bedecked with a multitude of beads, bracelets and necklaces, many of which he recognised. He snapped his eyes shut and opened them again. Nothing changed. Then a thought struck him. He froze not wanting to admit that it was true but the question niggled away at him. He knew what the answer was but he had to look anyway. He lifted the bedcover and dropped it again immediately. He groaned throwing an arm across his face.

_Not his bed! Not his pyjamas! Not good!_

.

Danny staggered down the hall using the walls for support. He stubbed his toe against a discarded shoe that lay abandoned in the passageway, stumbled and stepped on a small plastic figurine. He swore under his breath and hopped the rest of the way into the living room. The walls seemed to move back and forth and the floor swayed under him. He blundered his way over to the couch and gripped the back of it steadying himself until the carpet beneath his feet felt solid again. He leaned on his hands, closed his eyes and slowly breathed in and out. His legs felt like jelly. He wiggled his toes acutely aware of the roughness of the broadloom beneath them. His fingers gently rubbed the fabric of the sofa. He sniffed and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled his nostrils. Right at that moment he felt the desperate need for caffeine. His head felt like someone had used it as a battering ram, then removed the brain and replaced it with cotton wool. Coffee was good. All he had to do was make it to the kitchen but at that moment it seemed like an insurmountable trek.

The couch snored.

Danny shot out his skin. His eyes flew open and he lurched backwards. "What the hell?" He peered over the back of the couch. A large blue mound moved and groaned. Danny flinched and tentatively reached out to grab a handful of cover. He pulled it back and the creature underneath moaned.

"Nooo. Too early baby!"

"Adam?!"

Adam rolled over and opened an eye. He cringed as he caught sight of Danny and pulled the cover up to his chin.

"Danny?!" he slurred. "What you doin' here?"

Danny stared at him in amazement. "I live here. What are you doing here?" Adam looked around in astonishment.

They stared at one another in silence realizing that neither of them could answer that particular question. A banging came from the kitchen accompanied by some carefree whistling. Danny turned around and Adam struggled into a sitting position to peer over the back of the couch. A strange apparition dressed only in jeans, tee-shirt and a red polka-dot apron materialised in the doorway holding two mugs.

"Thought I heard signs of life." Don Flack sauntered over to them grinning from ear to ear. "You two look like shit!" he added cheerfully. "Here, have some coffee." His face took on a worried expression as he looked at Adam who was slowly turning a very pale shade of green. "Oh man! You're not going to throw up are you? Cos Linds'll kill me if I let you throw up on her couch."

Adam made a strange gulping sound. Don thrust the cups at Danny, pulled back the cover and grabbed Adam's arm dragging him to the bathroom. He pushed him in the direction of the toilet and closed the door wincing at the indelicate sounds that emanated from the other side. He looked at Danny who was swaying slightly and then dashed back, grabbed the coffees putting them on the credenza before helping Danny to an armchair where he collapsed his head in his hands. He then realized that the sounds from the bathroom had ceased. He dashed back. "You all right in there?" There was a strange grunting noise which he took for a yes.

The doorbell rang.

"Reinforcements." Don sighed with relief and went to open the door. Sheldon Hawkes stood on the doormat with his medical bag. He raised an eyebrow at the red polka-dot apron. Don followed his gaze. "What?" he asked irritably. "I do domestic!" He let a highly amused Sheldon in.

"So how are the patients?"

Don shrugged. "Well they woke up a few minutes ago. Ross is in the bathroom throwing his guts up and Danny … well … see for yourself." They walked into the living room. Sheldon winced. He didn't look good. "That'll teach them to party half the night," sniggered Don. Sheldon tried not to smile.

The bathroom door opened and the two men turned to see Adam totter out looking like death warmed up. "My head," he moaned as he leant against the door frame. Sheldon looked at Don with barely disguised amusement as Adam wobbled his way back to the couch reaching for the comforter like a thirsty man in the desert.

Sheldon decided that it wasn't the moment to comment on the Giants tee-shirt and matching Betty Boop boxer shorts and socks set, and instead walked over to the table and opened his bag. "Well I've brought you something to help with that." There was an appreciative groan from the two men.

"What happened?" muttered Danny without moving his head from his hand.

Don and Sheldon exchanged glances. "What do you remember?" asked Don tentatively.

Danny began to shake his head but then thought better of it. "Agh! I dunno. It's all a blur. I think it was raining."

Don began to laugh but managed to smother it. "How about you Adam?" There was no reply. "Adam?" Don peered over the back of the couch but Adam was just staring into space. He followed his gaze and realized that he wasn't staring into space, he was staring at the TV in the corner of the room that had been left on but with the sound turned down.

"Danny!" Adam gasped, his face a mask of horror.

"What?" Danny didn't move. It was too much effort.

"Danny! I think … I think we're on TV!"

.

Jo headed for the break room carrying her mug. She found Lindsay there getting coffee. Jo thought Lindsay looked as tired as she felt. Lindsay leaned against the counter with a sly little smile. "So Jo, how's your patient this morning?"

Jo tried to glare but failed as the corners of her mouth turned up. "Sleeping like a baby!" She flipped on the kettle and rinsed out her mug in the sink. She could feel Lindsay's eyes on her.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?"

Jo opened the cupboard and pulled a tea bag from the box marked with a bright blue sticky note that informed everyone that it was: 'JO'S. HANDS OFF!' She purposely didn't answer and made a show of making tea.

"Oh come on Jo! What was he like?"

Jo stirred her tea and discarded the bag. She flashed a wide smile at Lindsay. "Playful," she answered. "Very playful!" Lindsay's eyes opened wide. With a little shake of her head that set her ear-rings swinging Jo installed herself on a bar stool and blew at the mug of steaming tea. She decided it was time to change the subject. "How are Danny and Adam?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes and huffed. "I thought having a party for twelve six year old's was bad. This was way worse. I don't think my neighbours are going to talk to me for weeks. Thank God for Don. I don't know what I would have done without him. He's taking care of them for me and Sheldon said he'd stop by and check them out." Then a thought struck her. "You didn't leave him on his own did you?"

Jo smiled and looked at her watch. "Don't worry. The baby-sitters should be swapping over about now."

.

His first thought had been to make a run for it. The problem was that his clothes were nowhere to be seen. He looked at the note attached to the porcelain lamp and swore. He was lying there searching the depths of his brain for the reason behind his current predicament when muted noises alerted him to someone moving around the apartment. He listened carefully. There was a series of dull bangs and clicks. Someone spoke in low tones. A man. Someone answered. A woman. Then the series of dull bangs and clicks was repeated. After a few seconds the door handle began to move. The door opened a few inches and a disembodied head appeared.

"Oh good, you're awake!" The door opened fully and the man stepped in, a look of fatherly concern on his face. "I must say that you look worse that some of my patients in autopsy. How do you feel?"

"Sid?" Mac knew he was staring open-mouthed. Of all the people who could have stepped through the door the eccentric M.E. had been last on the list. "What are you doing … what am I … how did I …? Oh God!"

Sid Hammerback had to laugh. For the first time in his life he was witnessing his colleague and good friend at a total loss for words. The look of utter embarrassment on his face made Sid feel for him. He looked totally wretched.

"Relax Mac, you're not the first man to find himself in this situation." He cringed at a long lost memory. "Myself included … although I was a lot younger at the time." Mac groaned, fell back against the pillows and covered his face.

"What have I done? What the hell happened?"

"Take it easy Mac. One thing at a time." Sid walked over to the bed and put down a carrier bag. "Jo asked me to pop over to your place and bring you some fresh clothes." Mac groaned and Sid didn't think it was due to the headache he knew he must have. Sid put his medical kit next to it frowning at the old scar on his friend's chest. He wondered when he had acquired that but now wasn't the time to talk about past injuries. The present ones concerned him more. "But I'd better take a look at that first. Did you take some pain-killers?"

"Pain-killers?" Mac pulled his arm away from his face and looked at him blankly.

Sid tapped his head just near his hairline. Mac mirrored his actions, his fingers delicately exploring the large bump on his head covered by a dressing. His face took on a look of confusion.

"It's perfectly normal. One of the side-effects of the drugs is being oblivious to pain and let's face, you've got a head start in that department."

Mac's jaw dropped. "Drugs? What drugs?"

Sid winced. "Ah! Yes, well that's a long story. How much do you remember about last night?"

Curiosity mixed with a hint of panic getting the better of him, Mac hitched himself up onto the pillows with a grimace. Sid didn't fail to see him grab the covers and pull them a little higher but he didn't wish to add to his friend's mortification more than he had to so he kept a straight face. "I dunno. Bits and pieces. It's not clear. I remember … I was at the crime scene. I was processing the back office." He fell silent for a moment closing his eyes. "There was this note ... half under a filing cabinet ..." His eyes flew open as a horde of disjointed images flashed through his brain. Danny! Adam! His heart leapt and he suddenly felt sick. "Oh God, Sid!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : Thank you for the lovely reviews and the follows/favourites. Oh well, here's another installment taking us back to where it all started - the crime scene.  
**

**Chapter 2  
**

_The previous evening._

Mac pulled his Avalanche over to the kerb behind a squad car and switched off the lights. A young officer turned and raised his hand. Mac bit his lip as he tried to remember the kid's name. An image of a white rabbit popped into his head. _Harvey_! Mac pulled his kit from the back seat.

Harvey smiled at him and lifted the tape as he approached. "Good evening Sir. Detective Flack told me to expect you. He's interviewing the couple that found him over there. The body's this way." He pointed to a young couple leaning against a car. The girl with long pale hair clung to her boyfriend's arm while he spoke animatedly to Flack. Spying Mac, Don raised a hand and tipped his head as though to say, 'Go ahead, I'll be right there.'

"You first on the scene?" Mac asked.

"Er, yessir. Me and my partner Flynn. He's trying to explain to the cabbies that it's gonna be closed for the night. They ain't happy. Anyway the young man Detective Flack's interviewing called it in." He gestured for Mac to follow him. "It seems he went in to get change and when he couldn't find anyone, he looked into the back-office and discovered the body … I mean … the victim. Sir." Mac smiled at the young man's nervousness. Harvey led Mac across the side-walk and across a rough patch of fractured concrete. The two automated car washes stood side by side empty, their large blue bristles drooping miserably in the late evening damp. The two men walked past them carefully avoiding the puddles that remained from the day's activities and headed towards a small brightly lit shop-front that was flanked by a plain long concrete wall with a fluorescent sign announcing it was open 24/7! "Sorry Sir, not a lot of space in here. The cash register's been emptied. Looks like robbery."

The inside of the shop was even smaller than it looked from the outside. There was a dingy old Formica counter in imitation teak that hid a decades-old cash register and a pile of paperwork in a battered wire tray. As Harvey had said, the drawer of the cash register was open. It was empty. The counter was so close to the back wall that there was only just room for the office chair that looked like Dr Frankenstein had given it a make-over using scraps from less fortunate furniture. A large metal shelving unit stood between it and the front window. It held a variety of car accessories from spare wiper blades to polishing cloths to anti-freeze and washer liquid, not to mention a rather extensive collection of air-fresheners in all shapes and sizes. A small black and white TV and a boxy looking security camera were installed over the door facing the desk. Next to the register sat a monitor probably for the security camera and a coffee machine. Mac raised an eyebrow at the brown encrusted stains on the little machine and wrinkled his nose at the smell of stale, over-cooked coffee.

He turned to see Harvey standing by a door that stood ajar at the back of the shop. The kid looked a little pale and was clearly trying to avoid to looking into the room beyond. That already told Mac a lot. He smiled reassuringly. "Thanks Harvey. I'll take it from here." The young man nodded gratefully and headed for the exit. Mac put down his kit and pulled on gloves. He pushed the door fully open. The rank smell of death greeted him. He baulked a little. He would never get used to it but he pushed the feelings away. He had a job to do.

Mac pulled out his torch and swept it across the floor in front of him. No obvious prints. He took a couple of cautious steps into the room beyond. It obviously served a dual purpose: that of staff break room and store room. A row of metal shelves stood along one wall with boxes of supplies for the store. Two heavy duty vacuum cleaners and a bucket and mop stood next to a yellowed, cracked sink that had seen better days. Several boxes had been pulled off the shelves and their contents, mostly air-fresheners, scattered across the floor. The rest of the room was taken up by a Formica table in pale blue and three mismatched chairs, one of which seemed to have had a fight with a roll of duct tape and lost.

The heavy-set man in grey overalls lay in the centre of the floor, face down. The back of his head had been smashed in and a large pool of blood had already formed a substantial pool on the floor. Mac circumvented the blood pool and bent down to examine the wound. Voices floated in through the door.

"Looks like a robbery gone bad."

"Crazy. I mean who robs a car wash?" Mac could imagine Danny gesturing wildly at the empty cash register. "There's a bank, a pawn shop and two jewellery stores within a block and our perp robs a car wash. How much can they make in a day?"

"You'd be surprised. They got a contract with a couple of local cab companies. Hence the queue of pissed cabbies out there."

Two heads appeared around the door. Mac raised his eyes without lifting his head. "Mac! What are you doing here? You were supposed to be on way home?" Danny admonished.

Mac shrugged. "Picked up the call when I was only two blocks away."

"You have got to learn to ignore them Mac." Danny's arm waved in the air. "Your shift finished an hour ago. You are supposed to be off-duty."

"I'm never off-duty Danny."

"Yeah and that's going to be the death of you one of these days."

"All right! All right! Just process already." Mac muttered irritably although he felt a glow of warmth at the younger man's concern.

Danny sighed as he put down his case and gloved up. "I'll take the front office. I called Adam in seeing as you were off-duty," He over-emphasized the last words making Mac roll his eyes and Don smirk. "He'll be here in a few minutes and then we can get a move on so you can get off home."

Mac had to admit it had been a very long week and an early night sounded good. His stomach rumbled in agreement reminding him he had missed lunch. He smiled gratefully and looked at Don. "You got an ID?"

Don nodded. "Wilson Baldwin, 58, day manager. Goes off at seven o'clock and is replaced by one ..." Don consulted his notes. "... Gladstone ..." He huffed. " … who calls their kid Gladstone? Especially with a name like Peel. I got a couple of guys trying to track him down." He pointed his pen over his shoulder. "Got that from the owner of the pawn shop opposite. He calls himself Honest Al. Honest Al, my ass!", he scoffed. "You should see his prices. Unfortunately he didn't see anything. He had already closed up and was in the back doing his books. The two kids can't tell us anything either. There was no one here when they arrived. The boy said he uses the car wash now and again, didn't really know the victim but said he was a pleasant enough guy. Been here for years apparently."

Mac nodded. He wasn't surprised. He knew the car-wash, had passed it dozens of times even though he had never used it. It always struck him as incongruous stuck as it was, like a little time capsule, fixed on it's plot of decaying cement while newer, more modern structures crowded all around it, growing like enormous weeds threatening to throttle a tiny flower. He looked down at the day manager, Wilson Baldwin. He sighed. "He got a family?"

Don shook his head. "Dunno, apparently his wife died some years ago." He pointed over his shoulder. "I've got some guys canvassing the neighbourhood and I'm going to go check out his home address if that's okay with you? It's only a couple of blocks away."

Mac nodded. "Go. We're good here."

"Right. Well the OCME boys are on their way to pick up the body." Don looked at his watch. "They should be here in fifteen minutes or so."

"Thanks Don." Don took his leave and Mac unpacked his kit and began by photographing the victim. He worked quietly for a few minutes taking every detail of the scene trying to piece together what had happened. Of particular interest were the boxes that had been pulled from the shelves and the old Formica table. A chipped blue mug with a spoon in it sat on the pitted surface next to a rusty tin with it's lid open. Mac examined the tin and noted a few fine white crystals in the bottom. He looked over at a large metal filing cabinet. On the nearest shelf sat a bag of sugar and a packet of Oreos stuffed between an old box file and packet of envelopes. He looked at the position of the body and then went back to the front office where Danny was dusting the cash register.

"You got something?" Danny asked enquiringly seeing Mac looking at him intently. Danny swivelled his eyes to follow Mac's gaze. He seemed particularly interested in the coffee pot.

Mac nodded at the battered looking machine. "I think Mr Baldwin went to get sugar for his coffee. Our perp comes in behind him and knocks him out. The wound is a mess. Jagged. Just crushed the skull." Mac grimaced. "A heavy weapon, maybe a tire iron or metal pipe. Then he looks through the boxes, comes back in here and empties the till."

Danny frowned. "Why would he go through the boxes? I mean what is there to steal in a place like this?"

Mac pulled a wry smile. "Air fresheners," he stated. Danny stared at Mac like he'd gone mad and opened his mouth to speak but the obvious question was spoken by someone else.

"Who the hell would want to steal air fresheners … " Adam jiggled on the doorstep looking at the rows of air-fresheners on the rack inside the door and then at his boss. "... unless they had like … a really smelly car? I thought you had the evening off?"

Mac glared at him. "Don't you start!" Adam just grinned as the look on Danny's face told him that they had already had that conversation. "See if you can get something from the security footage will you while I try to figure out why someone would want to steal these?"

"Will do Boss!" Adam walked over to the counter and glared at the antiquated monitor. "Whoa! I wouldn't hold out much hope. This thing's prehistoric!" He put down his kit and looked at the space behind the counter as he pulled on his gloves. Danny side-stepped out of the way to make room for him and then resumed his original position to continue dusting for prints. Adam huffed as he squeezed himself into the gap and attempted to open the cupboard door. He glared at the old fashioned video recorder in distaste. He wriggled and jiggled until he could get a proper look at it and pressed a button that gave a loud 'clunk'. The machine whirred to life and after several seconds of whizzing and clunking stopped. Danny looked at Adam and then at the machine. "Er … Boss?" Adam yelled. "No joy! There's no tape." There was no answer. "Boss?"

Adam and Danny looked at one another and went into the back office to find Mac staring at the large metal filing cabinet that held a couple of dozen box files, a couple of reams of paper, a large stapler and a box marked 'Lost and Found' and the coffee supplies. However Mac didn't appear to be very interested in the files or the 'Lost and Found' but by something on the floor. They peered over his shoulder. Partially caught under the cupboard was a small square of yellow paper with a number on it.

"It's stuck," Mac commented helpfully. Adam and Danny waited for him to continue wondering why this was significant. Mac ducked to one side and then the other as though examining the sides of the cabinet. He bobbed back the other way and then bent down reaching into the gap between the cabinet and the wall. He felt around for a few moments and then there was a loud click. "Ha!" he announced joyfully. Mac grabbed the right side of the cabinet and pulled. It swung outward on well oiled hinges to reveal a door. Danny glanced at Adam who looked as impressed as he felt. "Shall we?" Mac asked.

Danny gestured to the door. "Oh, by all means. After you."

Mac reached out and turned the handle. The door opened inwards. He lifted his torch and swept the beam of light through the opening. A set of rough concrete stairs led downwards to the left. Slowly Mac stepped in through the gap. Danny followed him and then Adam curious as to what they were going to find though he gulped slightly to see the other two put their hands on their holsters. Mac held the torch high as they made their way down the stairs.

Mac sniffed. There was an odd smell in the air, one he couldn't quite identify. The steps turned to the left. Whatever lay beyond was in complete darkness. The beam of Mac's torch showed a light switch. He glanced at Danny who nodded pulling his weapon. Adam froze and Mac reached for the switch. The lights flickered and lit up the room with a blue-white glow.

Danny gasped. "Whoa! You've got to be kidding me!" Adam plunged down the last couple of steps as Mac and Danny stepped into the room. His eyes opened wide at the sight.

.

Don Flack waited while the building supervisor, a short man with a heavy limp who had introduced himself as Jack, opened the door and flipped on the lights. Jack stepped back and gave a half-smile as Don entered. "I just can't believe it," he muttered for the twentieth time. "Who would do such a thing?" He followed Don into the apartment. Don looked around impressed. Although the furniture was old-fashioned, it was spotless. A small table stood in the corner of the room next to a breakfast bar that separated the living area from the kitchen It was laid for one. A large leather armchair faced a TV and a Bose sound system that made Don more than a little jealous. "His pride and joy," commented Jack. "He worked years for that. He loved his jazz."

Don walked over to the shelves beside the TV and ran his eyes across the titles of the LP's, tapes and CD's neatly stacked there. Duke Ellington. Fats Waller. Count Basie. Charlie Parker. Ella Fitzgerald. All the classics and a few besides. Don looked at a side-table. There was a pen, a calculator and an accounts book and several envelopes. Don flipped through the book surprised to see how little the man earned but everything looked in order, each item meticulously noted in the little book, his bills all paid. There was no personal mail. Don looked around the room and headed for the kitchen. The breakfast pots had been washed. A bread board and a knife stood on the side with a half-used loaf of bread. He checked the fridge. A half portion of casserole sat in the fridge with some sliced ham and cheese. Don could imagine Wilson Baldwin coming home after his shift, washing out his lunch box and heating up the casserole, sitting and eating at the table before clearing away and sitting listening to his beloved jazz. He sighed deeply. "Do you know if Mr Baldwin had family?"

Jack nodded. "His wife died years ago. Poor thing, giving birth. Baby died too. He never remarried. Don't think he ever got over her. You know what I mean?" Don felt a knot in his throat and nodded. "But he's got a brother." He pointed to a picture on the credenza. "One of his kids did that for Wilson's birthday. They always send cards. Christmas and the like. Wilson was real thrilled to get them." Don crossed over to the credenza to look at a child's picture of a house and a family with a large dog. Don pulled opened the drawer. It was full of cards, birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, postcards. "He never visited them." Jack huffed. "He hardly even took time off. Just worked at that car wash. Day in, day out. All them years. It just isn't right." He shook his head sadly.

Don's radio squawked. Don pulled it off his belt and thumbed the key. "Flack" Jack stared at him wondering how he could understand what was being said to him. It seemed to him to be a jumble of words and static. However he surprised to see the detective pale. "What?" More static. "I'll be right there. Clear the vicinity. Do not go back in by yourself. Call FDNY and the bomb squad. " Jack's jaw dropped. Don turned to face him. "I've gotta go. There's been an explosion. Close up behind me. If you can try to find me the name and address of Mr Wilson's brother." Don thrust a card at him. Jack nodded in amazement and looked at the card. _'Detective Donald Flack Jr. Homicide.'_

.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N : Thank you once again for the lovely reviews and the follows/favourites. **

**As one of my kind guest reviewers wrote, we've had 'post-it', and 'pre-it' so here is 'It - part one!'  
**

**Chapter 3  
**

Don's feet pounded the side-walk sending shooting pains up his legs but he didn't care. He dodged around tired-looking office workers heading home and ran straight across a junction ignoring the honking of the drivers. Already he could hear sirens nearing. All he could think about were the three men inside the building. His colleagues. His friends. They had to be all right. They had to be. He couldn't lose anyone else. He rounded the corner and slowed surprised by what he saw. He had expected something akin to Armageddon, burning buildings, pillars of smoke, wounded staggering around but the scene looked oddly peaceful. The usual crowd of on-lookers stood respectfully behind the tape with Officer Flynn keeping an eye on them. A TV van had turned up and was parked at an angle but the crew had yet to set up. The building itself looked relatively undamaged other than smoke pouring from two elongated grates set low down on the long cement wall that flanked the shop. The lights were off and a huge geyser of water was shooting up into the air from in front of the car wash.

Don ran forward just as Adam stumbled out through the door with Danny's arm around his shoulder. A cloud of smoke followed them and they were both covered in a fine layer of grey-white ash. They staggered to halt and dropped to their knees. Both were coughing and their eyes were streaming. Don ran up to them."You guys okay? Neither were able to answer other than a half-hearted attempt at a thumbs-up from Danny. "Okay, stay right here. EMS is on it's way." Even as he spoke strobe lights flickered off the buildings around him.

"Detective Flack?" A terrified voice spoke from behind him. _Harvey_! "Sir, Detective Taylor's still inside." Don stared at the officer for moment then spun round, uttered an oath under his breath and headed for the door. "Sir shouldn't we wait for ..." He didn't get any further as Don took no notice and disappeared into the cloud of smoke that was escaping through the front door.

Don paused inside the door and hesitated. He gagged at the acrid smell that filled his nostrils. Then he remembered the rack. He grabbed a chamois leather and ripped open the pack. He pulled a bottle of screen wash and doused the cloth before tying it around his face. He headed for the door and spotted Adam's kit lying open near the desk. He grabbed the flash-light from the open case and headed into the back room. He blinked as his eyes began to itch and water, surprised to see another door opposite him where a large metal cupboard had been pulled away from the wall. He spotted a set of fingers gripping the edge of the door. "Mac!" Don dashed forward and without really stopping to see what he was doing he grabbed a handful of jacket and hauled Mac to his feet slinging his arm around his shoulder. Taking his weight he guided him to the door carefully stepping around the body of Wilson Baldwin. He felt a pang of regret as he did so but the living took priority over the dead and Don half-dragged, half-carried Mac towards the door. Harvey rushed to help them.

.

Lindsay's stomach had turned as she had taken the call. _An explosion. Caught inside._ "They're going to be all right. They're going to be all right," she kept telling herself as she rang her neighbour's doorbell. She jiggled nervously on the doormat as a series of bolts and locks were undone.

A elderly lady looked out at her. "Lindsay dear, is everything all right? You look terribly pale."

"Mrs Andrews, I am so sorry to bother you but there's been an accident. At work. Danny ..."

The elderly lady held up a hand. "Say no more. You go. I'll stay with Lucy." Lindsay was about to ask if she was sure. "I'm sure. Let me grab my things." She came back after a moment with a book and her spectacles.

"She's all ready for bed. She's watching a movie … I mean … she just needs to ..."

"Go. Go. It'll be fine. I'll stay with her till you get back. Go." Mrs Andrews shooed her down the stairs and headed for Lindsay's apartment. Her husband put his head out of the door. "It's all right Howard. I'm just going to sit with Lucy. There's been some kind of accident. You stay put. Make sure you wash the dishes." Howard nodded. She headed into the Messer's flat. She was just closing the door when she popped her head out for a few seconds. "And don't forget to take out the trash." Howard sighed. He began to close the door. "And don't start watching one of those Friday night crime shows. You know how hyper you get when you watch autopsies. Try to find a nice comedy or some football."

.

Lindsay tumbled out onto the side-walk just as a car drew up. Sheldon Hawkes looked out at her from the driver's seat. She dashed around and jumped in the passenger sheet. "Do you know anything more?" Sheldon shook his head as he headed out into the traffic. His face was grim.

"No. Flack just said that Mac, Danny and Adam were processing the crime scene. He'd gone to check the victim's home when he got a call to say there'd been some kind of explosion. He got there in time to see Danny and Adam stumbling out." He glanced her. "He went in himself and dragged Mac out." Lindsay smiled. That sounded like Don. "Anyway EMS are there and treating them on-site for the moment. Looks like smoke inhalation though Don did say Mac seemed to have minor head and shoulder wounds. Anyway they were all lucid."

"Do we know what caused it?"

Sheldon shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I mean, it's a car wash. They're not exactly known for being dangerous but I guess there could have been some cleaning products. An electrical fault or a gas leak maybe? Who knows?"

Although the drive took only a little over eight minutes it seemed like a lifetime before they pulled behind a multitude of vans, police cruisers, ambulances and fire engines. As they abandoned their vehicle they passed Mac's Avalanche. They were surprised to see the door standing wide open, Mac's jacket tossed on the front seat and a pair of latex gloves dropped on the floor. Sheldon frowned as he pushed the door closed. "That's not like Mac," he muttered.

Don was stood by the tape instructing local officers to keep the gathering crowd of rubber-neckers away and to move the safety barriers back. A young officer wobbled his way towards them with a huge grin on his face. "Hey there Detective Messer! Detective Messer's over there!" he giggled and pointed towards an ambulance with it's doors wide open. Lindsay and Sheldon stared at the young man whose name tag said he was called Harvey.

"Officer Harvey, this is no joking matter." Sheldon told him sternly The young man looked startled but before either could say anything a loud shout echoed across the street.

"Montana!"

Lindsay's jaw dropped as she watched Danny pull an oxygen mask away from his face and leap up onto the gurney on which he had been sitting as though he were standing on a surf board and wave his arms at her while trying to keep his balance. "Danny! What the ..." She rushed over to him as a paramedic unsuccessfully tried to get him down. "Danny, get down from there. What do you think you're doing?"

Taking the paramedic by surprise Danny leapt off the gurney to land at her feet. "Baby!" he cooed. "Missed you!" Danny grabbed her around the waist, pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. "Sexy thing!"

"Danny!" Lindsay squealed as his hands cupped her bottom. "Stop that! Not here!" She looked over his shoulder at the paramedic who was staring at them in amazement.

Suddenly Danny pulled away, a wicked grin on his face. "You're right. Let's go home and you can put on that cute little black ..." His words were cut off as Lindsay slapped a hand over his mouth. She stared at him. A light sheen covered his face. He felt hot to the touch. His pupils were dilated and his eyes were glittering dangerously.

She glared at the paramedic. "What have you given him?"

"Er … what? No … nothing! I swear," the stunned paramedic stammered.

Lindsay frowned and looked at the back of the ambulance where Adam should have been sitting. "Where's Adam?" she demanded. The paramedic turned around flinching in utter surprise when he realized that his second quieter patient was no longer there. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. Danny grunted. "What?" Lindsay realized that she still had her hand over his mouth. She removed it.

"Car wash!" he announced helpfully.

Lindsay sighed. "Danny look at me!" She could see he was making an effort. "Can you tell me what happened? What did you find in there?" She pointed to the car wash.

Danny straightened up a little. "Of course, I can tell you what we found," he announced firmly looking slightly offended that she should even ask. Then he broke into a silly grin. "Air fresheners!" His gaze wandered and suddenly Lindsay found herself pushed aside as Danny strode off towards the two car washes. "Adam, good buddy!"

Lindsay stared after him. "Oh no!"

.

Don Flack was having a little trouble focussing. Having ascertained that Mac was generally okay apart from a cut along his hairline, he had deposited him on the passenger seat of the Avalanche with instructions to stay put until the paramedics arrived. He had rushed back to check on Adam and Danny. Then it seemed that half of New York were there. FDNY turned up demanding to know what was going on and if it was safe to enter the building. More police cars rolled up and a tactical response squad arrived with a squeal of tires, the team leader making a bee-line for Don.

Don related quickly what he knew, that three crime scene investigators had been working the scene when they had discovered a hidden room in the basement and there had been some sort of explosion. It was decided that a small team of FDNY officers in full hazmat gear would investigate. Don was pleased to see Lindsay and Sheldon arrive as he was briefing the teams. The fire crew captain requested a larger perimeter in case there were to be further explosions and ordered a member of his team to turn off the water that was still spewing in a large colourful arc from the broken pipe that fed the car washes. Don headed over to Officer Flynn and the other half-dozen officers who had arrived to secure the scene. He instructed them to create a larger perimeter and move people back right across the road. Then he spotted Victoria Vane from Channel 4 news excitedly pointing her camera-man towards the car-wash. Don growled. The woman was a vulture. However before he could make a move singing reached his ears.

"_Working at the car wash .Working at the car wash, yeah!"_

Don turned, his eyes as large as flying saucers.

"_Come on and sing it with me, car wash. Sing it with the feeling now, car wash yeah!"_

He burst out laughing and then suddenly stopped. _What the hell was he doing? This wasn't funny._ His eyes roamed the scene and alighted on Lindsay who was stood, open-mouthed, her hands grabbing fistfuls of hair while she watched in horror as her husband grabbed a screen-wash sponge on a handle and began playing air guitar.

"Let me tell you it's always cool," Danny sang leaning towards Adam who had a bucket turned upside down and was using it as a drum.

"And the boss don't mind sometimes if you act a fool!" they crooned in unison before picking up the refrain. Don couldn't help himself. Laughter bubbled up inside him as he watched his two friends cavort around the car-wash under the cascade of water.

"Don! Don!" Don turned to look at Sheldon. He stopped laughing. Some instinct at the back of his brain told him something was wrong. "Look at me. How are you feeling?"

Don thought about it for a moment. "A little … strange!" It was true. He felt detached.

"Dammit!" muttered Sheldon. "Okay, come on." Don felt himself being pulled towards the spot where Lindsay was standing.

"Sheldon, what's wrong with them?" she asked despairingly.

"Dilated pupils; hyperactivity; euphoria..."

"_Working at the car wash .Working at the car wash, yeah!"_

Sheldon cringed as Lindsay covered her face. "If I had to guess, some kind of stimulant, amphetamines, crystal meth, maybe cocaine. We've got to get them to hospital and get a sample of whatever they've been..." Sheldon looked at Don who was valiantly trying to keep it together but had started to bop in time to the 'music'. "...you've been exposed to."

"That's maybe not such a good idea, Doc." Don pointed to the camera. "Victoria the Vulture's on their case. It's going to be bad enough trying to explain this ..."

"_Sing it with feeling! Car wash yeah!"_

"... to the boss without them wrecking the local hospital."

Sheldon suddenly looked around. "Speaking of whom, where exactly is Mac?" Don staggered back in shock unable to believe that he had completely forgotten about him. They all looked around but he was nowhere in sight.

.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N : Thank you once again for the lovely reviews and the follows/favourites. **

**So here is 'It - part two and time to find out where Mac has wandered off to as if you didn't know!'  
**

**Chapter 4  
**

Jo rubbed the steam on the mirror with her hand and peered through the clearing. She grabbed a handful of her hair and sniffed. A faint coconut smell assaulted her nostrils. Was there still a trace of that awful musty basement she had been processing half the afternoon? She shuddered as she imagined spiders in her hair. She half-contemplated giving it a third wash but decided against it. She wriggled into her favourite white and gold polka-dot satin night-shirt and grabbed her dirty clothes from the floor. They were going directly into the washing machine. Then she had an appointment with a glass of wine and a new DVD she had been meaning to watch for weeks.

She passed Ellie's door. "Ellie, turn that music down!" There was an irritable noise from behind the door and the volume lowered infinitesimally. Jo rolled her eyes. How her daughter could do homework to that noise was beyond her. She conveniently forgot her mother yelling the same thing to her when she was a teenager. She passed through the living room and glanced at the TV.

"_We've had reports of an explosion at a car wash in downtown Manhattan this evening causing hold-ups in a five block radius. Drivers are requested to avoid the area between ..."_

She ignored it and headed for the kitchen. Her phone jiggled up and down on the kitchen counter demanding attention. She dumped the laundry on the floor and grabbed it surprised to see that she had four missed calls. The phone announced that Lindsay was calling.

"Hey Lindsay," Jo answered sighing irritably as the doorbell began to ring insistently. She hated people who leaned on the bell. If it was a door-to-door salesman she might just contemplate shooting him. It had been a long day. She headed for the door.

"_Jo. Thank God. We've been trying to reach you. Where have you been?"_ Jo was about to explain her long sojourn with a bottle of shampoo when Lindsay continued without waiting for an answer. _"Listen Jo. We have a problem. Mac, Danny and Adam were working a crime scene ..."_ Jo peered through the spy-hole and was surprised to discover who was leaning on her doorbell. She put her hand over the microphone.

"Okay I'm coming. Hold on." She grabbed the keys from the bowl on the credenza and pulled back the chain only half listening to Lindsay. She opened the door and stared at the state of Mac's clothes in horror. He wasn't wearing a jacket. Part of his shirt was pulled out and it was covered in fine grey streaks and there was blood on the side of his face and his collar. She gasped. It was then that Lindsay's words reached her.

"_...discovered a drugs lab … exposed … amphetamine … crystal meth … cocaine … Sheldon doesn't think it's life-threatening but Mac's missing."_

"He's … here." Jo stammered unable to take her eyes off the man standing on her doorstep.

"_What?"_

"Mac's here!" Jo was mesmerized. His eyes bore into hers. He had the strangest look on his face, one she had never seen before. Suddenly she was very conscious of the fact that she was only wearing her very old, very thin, comfortable night-shirt. She might as well have been wearing nothing.

Mac's eyes took in every detail right down to her toes with their bright red nail-polish. "Nice!"

Lindsay's voice became indistinct as though she were talking to someone else. _"... there … at Jo's … I dunno ..."_

Jo swallowed as Mac stepped over the threshold. She was unable to move as he stepped closer and brushed his lips across her cheek. "Hello Josephine!" he whispered sending a shiver down her back.

"_Jo? … Jo? Look listen, you have to keep him there. Jo are you listening?"_

"Mm … Mm ... keep … him … here."

"_Okay I gotta go. I have two problems of my own to sort out. Sheldon will call you as soon as we know more."_

The line went dead. Jo stood rooted to the spot. He was standing so close that she could feel the heat radiating off him. Somehow, she thought, keeping him there wasn't going to be a problem. Suddenly Lindsay's words came back to her : crime scene, explosion, drugs, exposed. She gazed at Mac and the look on his face. He was breathing heavily and his dilated pupils looked like bottomless black pools. She felt the breath catch in her throat as a sudden realisation hit her.

Mac Taylor was as high as a kite!

.

Sheldon stood watching his two friends cavort around like fourteen year olds. Fortunately Don was holding it together enough to go deal with Victoria the Vulture who was screaming loudly at him about freedom of the press while he held a hand over her camera-man's lens. One of the FDNY officers strode out of the building and headed in his direction. As he approached he pulled off his face mask. Sheldon recognized him from a previous case they had worked on.

Clive Wheeler ran a hand through his hair before replacing his helmet. "Dr Hawkes, I think it's safe to enter. At least from a structural perspective. The fires are out but you'll need breathing equipment ..." He glanced over in the direction of the car wash. " … unless you want to end up like your friends over there," he added with a smirk.

Sheldon rolled his eyes as he watched Lindsay, two FDNY officers and two paramedics try to persuade Danny and Adam to give up their Star Wars light-mops in favour of nice warm dry blankets. Sheldon pinched his brow feeling a headache coming on. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse a car pulled up and the imposing figure of Brigham Sinclair sprang from the passenger door. "Oh great!" The chief of detectives headed straight for him.

"Dr Hawkes. What the hell is going on? Where is Taylor?" Sinclair's head flicked between them and the chaotic scene in the car wash where the firemen and the paramedics had finally managed to drag their unwilling victims towards his and Lindsay's car.

"Chief Sinclair." Sheldon took a deep breath. "It seems while processing the crime scene that Mac may have discovered a covert drugs lab in the basement of the building. There was some kind of explosion and Mac and Danny and Adam were exposed to residue from the drugs."

Clive Wheeler nodded in agreement. "From our preliminary investigation, it must have been wired to prevent intruders. We discovered a trip wire set at the base of the stairs. Detective Taylor must have set it off when he went to investigate. It appears to have been linked to several incendiary devices designed to destroy the equipment."

"Do we know what kind of drugs or who's responsible?"

Sheldon shook his head. "No, Clive tells me that the building is safe enough to enter. I'm hoping to get samples as soon as I can."

"Has anyone other than Taylor, Messer and Ross been affected?"

Again Sheldon shook his head. "Only Detective Flack and Officer Harvey but they weren't in the building. I think they're just a little ..." Sheldon hunted desperately for the right word. "...care-free right now."

Sinclair nodded grimly. "All right, get them all out of here right now and don't let the press anywhere near them while I try to deal with the damage they've caused." And with that he strode off in the direction of the Channel Four News van.

Clive Wheeler stared at his retreating back in amazement. "The damage THEY'VE caused?" Sheldon shrugged. "He didn't even ask if they were going to be all right?"

Sheldon sighed. "Come on. Let's get some samples and see what we're dealing with."

Clive nodded. "Okay I'll get one of my guys to kit you up." He took one last look at the Chief of Detectives. "Unbelievable!"

.

If the drive over to the crime scene had seemed long, the drive back to their apartment seemed longer. Lindsay tried to focus on the road but having Danny and Adam in the back of the car was more distracting than a screaming two year old. Their mouths seemed to have gone into over-drive. Having left their Star Wars personas behind they were now arguing about who was the ultimate crime fighter. Spiderman or Batman?

"Batman has cooler gadgets," declared Danny.

"But Spiderman has Spidey sense," countered Adam. "which is way more important. He just knows stuff." Adam waggled his fingers like a supervillain trying to hypnotize his victim. "Like the boss!"

Danny giggled. "Yeah just like Mac and that secret door."

"Dah … nah … nah ... nah ...dah … nah … nah ... nah ..." they both trilled.

"He knows everything!" whispered Adam dragging out his words.

Danny looked confused. "Who does?"

"Mac!"

"Mac?"

"Mac!"

"STOP!" yelled Danny. Lindsay stomped on the brakes glad that there was no one behind them. Danny yanked at the handle of the door. "I left him … I left him behind. I gotta go back. I gotta go back."

Lindsay twisted around in her seat, glad that she had had the foresight to put the child locks on the back doors. "Danny! Danny, stop! It's all right. He's safe." Danny looked at her totally panicked. "Mac's safe! He's at Jo's." Danny searched her face and then relaxed as he realized she was telling the truth.

"And we know what he's doing!" Don announced in a sing-song voice, giggling to himself. Lindsay swatted him in the arm and told him to shut up. "Sorry! Shutting up!" But he sniggered again. Lindsay turned back to the wheel and groaned. It was going to be a long night.

.

Jo's stomach was doing little flip-flops as Mac leaned on his hands planted on the wall either side of her head. He sniffed at her hair. "Co … co … nut! Mmm." Firmly she placed a hand on his chest and pushed him away. She could feel his heart beating even faster than hers was. Deep down she knew he would never dream of hurting her but she had no idea what he had been exposed to or what effect it would have on him.

"What are you doing here Mac?" she asked gently. He frowned for a moment as though she had asked him for the chemical composition of the sun. Then suddenly he straightened up and raised his arm. Jo flinched thinking he was going to slap her but his face broke out into a goofy grin and he stood to attention like a Keystone Cop directing traffic.

Jo gasped and slapped her hand to her mouth trying not to laugh. Stuck to the palm of his hand was a square purple post-it note with her distinctive short stubby writing on it. She remembered she had written it when he had dropped her off at home the previous week. A call to a crime scene had come through just as she was stepping from the car. She should have taken it but Mac had insisted that she go home to Ellie and he had taken the call in her stead despite having worked a double-shift and missed lunch. She had taken the little notepad and pen from the glove compartment, scrawled a note and stuck it to the dashboard just above the clock.

_'I.O.U. Dinner!'_

"Dinner!" added Mac helpfully. Jo relaxed and shook her head. He looked positively adorable like a puppy begging for a treat. "Okay but not looking like that." Mac looked affronted but confused. Jo guided him to the mirror. "You need to get cleaned up." Mac looked at himself in the mirror and frowned.

"My shirt's dirty," he announced surprised and he began to unbutton it.

"Oh!" Jo looked at him astonished that he appeared to be stripping off in the middle of her hall. "Er, okay. Slow down there. One thing at a time." She spun him round to face her. Her stomach tightened as she saw that the look was back and he appeared to be brazenly looking straight down her cleavage. "Let's put these somewhere safe." She pulled the gun from his holster and took his badge off his belt. She opened the closet door and punched the code into her safe. She stowed the gun and badge inside with her own and then held out her hand. "Pockets." Obediently Mac dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and phone. Jo placed the wallet in the safe and placed the phone on the credenza. Mac dug his hand into his other pocket and brought out his keys. Jo went to take them but he suddenly snapped them out of her reach and jiggled them. "Mac!" Jo tried another grab only for him to move them again. "Mac Taylor! Keys! Now!" she ordered. A sulky expression came over his face.

"No fun!" But he obediently held out the keys for her.

"Shoes." Mac kicked off his shoes, expertly flipping them into the bottom of the cupboard to land on the pile of sneakers, boots and shoes already piled there. For a moment Jo could just see him as a schoolboy doing the same with his mother yelling at him to put them away properly. "Come on, bathroom!" Mac pouted. Jo suppressed a smile. Just like a schoolboy! "Wash first, then dinner." And she dragged him towards the bathroom.

.

Ellie finished off the final word of her essay with a flourish. She clicked the save icon and slammed down the top of her laptop. "Yes!" Her phone rattled, the screen informing her that Janine was calling. "Hey! I've just finished. I'm on my way down." She hung up the call and pushed the tiny cell phone into her pocket.

Ellie switched off her desk lamp, pointed her remote at the sound system and grabbed her boots. She hopped her way out of the door as she pulled on her boots and closed it behind her. She headed towards the kitchen. "Mom! I'm done. I going to meet Janine and Sara!" Silence. "Mom?" Sounds of running water came from the bathroom. Ellie frowned. She tapped on the door. "Mom?"

"_Yes?"_

"Mom, are you okay?"

"_Fine! Are you done?"_

Ellie listened at the door to the strange noises. "Yeah! I'm going to meet Janine and Sara."

"_Right … Behave! …. I mean, you have a good time!"_

"Oh ...kay! Er ... I'll be back around half nine." More strange noises. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"_Absolutely fine. Ellie? Why don't you girls go get yourselves ice-cream afterwards? There's some money in my purse on the kitchen counter."_

Ellie's jaw dropped. "Really? Mom, you're the best!"

"_Oh and be back by ten-thirty. And take enough money for a cab."_

Ellie promptly forgot about the strange noises as she headed for the kitchen grabbing her cell phone. She hit redial. "Janine? Guess what my mom's giving me money for ice-cream after the movie. Tell your mom we'll be late. And tell Sara." She listened a moment to her friend's question. "I have no idea but I can tell you one thing. She must have been to a really awful crime scene as she's already had a shower and now she's running a bath! Ugh!"

.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : Thank you once again for the lovely reviews and the follows/favourites. **

**And now for is 'It - part three!'  
**

**Chapter 5  
**

Gertie Andrews looked up from her book as the door opened. She sighed with relief as Lindsay came in with Danny. She hadn't been able to concentrate on the dashing hero's daring rescue of the heroine for worrying about them. "Oh, he's all right!" she gushed. "Thank the Lord!"

She was about to ask what had happened when Danny swept into the room with his arms wide trailing a blanket like a superhero cape. "Mrs Andrews, thank you so much for looking after Lucy." He enveloped her in a bear hug.

"Oh well … Oh my … that's no problem," she stammered blushing prettily as she pushed him away grimacing at his wet clothes. "It's always a pleasure Daniel. Lucy's a delightful little girl. So sweet-natured." She eyed him suspiciously and glanced at Lindsay who was looking apologetic. "Well I'll be getting back now..." She grabbed her book and glasses all the while eyeing Danny and his two friends who gave her the impression they weren't quite with it. One of them, a bonny looking boy with a mop of messy hair and a lop-sided had a blanket wrapped around himself like a space-age Roman emperor. He smiled at her and raised his hand.

"AVE!"

Gertie nodded at him benevolently. "Well, I'll .. er … leave you to it then" she stammered backing away towards the door.

"No! Stay! Have a beer!" Danny waved his arms as he headed to the kitchen. "Invite Howard, we'll all have a beer." Lindsay's heart leapt into her mouth. Beer! Not a good idea. But fortunately Danny changed his mind and headed for the sound system instead. He hit a button and flicked a dial with a twist of his wrist. The Eagle's Hotel California blared out from the five speakers. Danny resumed his air guitar while Adam had a great idea discarding his Roman persona along with the blanket.

"Awesome! Let's play Guitar hero!"

Don was happily watching the scene. "Great!" Then he spotted Lindsay glaring at him. "Oh … er .. maybe not .. so .. great! How about something a little … er … quieter! Yeah quieter!"

Lindsay gently guided Mrs Andrews to the door. "Thank you so much Mrs Andrews. I'm sorry about ... them! It's just that … they've been a little affected by some … er … chemicals. Yes chemicals but they're going to be fine and I'll ..." She cringed as someone turned up the volume. "I'll just go and get them to settle down." Lindsay opened the door. "Anyway, thank you so much and if there's anything I can do for you ..."

"_Livin it up at the Ho...tel California!" _Gertie's eyes opened wide at the off-key chorus.

"... don't hesitate to ask!" She all but pushed the old lady out and closed the door leaning back against it.

"_What a nice surprise … what a nice surprise!"_

Lindsay looked down in despair at the wet footprints along her hall carpet. At least Jo won't have this mess to cope with she thought to herself.

.

Having cleaned the wound on his forehead and discovered that, although quite long and deep, it had stopped bleeding, Jo had left Mac sitting in the bathroom with instructions not to movewhile she tried to find an old pair of Tyler's jogging pants that he had left behind when he had stayed for Thanksgiving. She found them at the back of her closet along with a large white tee-shirt from a charity run. On returning to the bathroom she heard the sound of music and running water. He had switched the radio on. She tapped on the door. "Mac?" There was no answer. "Mac? Are you okay?" She began to worry. Gingerly she opened the door to find clothes strewn all over the floor and Mac nowhere in sight. Panicked she threw open the door only to stop and stare at the bath in astonishment. He must have put an entire bottle of foam bath in the tub and switched on the jets as the bubbles had formed an enormous cone that almost reached the ceiling.

It was at that point she realized the water was still running. Running to the bath she swiped at the bubbles trying to find the faucet and the off-switch for the jets. As she turned off the water, an arm shot out from nowhere and wrapped itself around her waist. She screamed as she felt herself being pulled backwards landing with a huge splash that sent water cascading over the side of the bath.

"Got ya!" A wicked little voice teased.

"Mac! Stop it!" Jo floundered desperately when a noise reached her ears, a noise she had never heard before. The sound of Mac laughing. A deep rumbling laugh that set her stomach fluttering. Jo squealed and tried to squirm her way out of the bath sending more water splashing onto the floor and huge clouds of bubbles floating all over the bathroom but it was like battling an octopus with Marine training.

"Mac Taylor. Behave yourself," she admonished. A contrite face appeared among the clouds of foam. His hair was soaking and plastered to his head. "Mac!" she warned. "Let me go!" She felt his arms under her and in one smooth movement he scooped her up and lifted her over the edge of the bath accompanied by a deluge of soapy water and huge bobbles of foam. The contrition was rapidly replaced by an amused grin.

"You're wet!"

It was at that moment that Jo realized that her nightshirt was clinging to her. She looked at Mac whose dignity was hidden by a vast wall of bubbles, then down at herself and she did the only thing she could. She ran for the door. Safely outside, Jo leaned against the bathroom door gasping. Her cheeks were burning and her heart pounding as she looked at the pool of water that was forming around her soaking into her carpet. Suddenly she burst into giggles as a deep baritone voice joined in with the song on the radio.

"_Boom, boom, boom, boom"_

Jo slapped a hand over her mouth trying to smother her laughter.

"_I'm gonna shoot you right down  
Right off your feet  
Take you home with me  
Put you in my house "_

Jo chuckled to herself as she padded away to her bedroom in search of dry clothes, thankful that Ellie had already left and that she didn't have to explain what was going on. On regaining her room she looked at herself in the mirror. The shirt when wet was virtually transparent. It left absolutely nothing to the imagination. She pulled it off and wriggled out of her underwear. Then she realized that she didn't have a towel to dry herself off with. They were all in the bathroom. She thought about the man in her bathtub and she felt her cheeks redden. "Get a grip Jo," she told herself sternly as she grabbed an awful pink bathrobe that her mother had given her for Christmas from the back of the door. She used it to dry herself. "He's sick. You have to look after him." She threw the robe onto the floor next to her nightshirt and smiled a naughty smile as she pulled jeans and a tee-shirt from the closet. Pity really. The thought of the bubble bath and it's occupant was really rather tempting.

.

Jo stood in front of the stove and stirred the pasta sauce. She listened carefully but there were noises coming from the other side of the bathroom door so he hadn't passed out or drowned in the tub. Her phone rattled on the counter next to her. She glanced at the caller ID as she picked up. "Sheldon?"

"_Hey Jo how are things?"_

"We're fine. Mac's in the bathroom … er … freshening up."

"_How is he? Do you need me or Sid to come over … you know … if he's hard to handle?"_

Jo giggled. "Er, no. He's … er … fine. Actually he's kinda cute!"

There was a moment's silence. _"Okay, listen I've got samples and I'm back at the lab. They're going to take a while to analyse but it's almost certainly some kind of amphetamine based compound. Hopefully due to their limited exposure the effects won't be to severe and should wear off in the next few hours. Try to keep him calm if you can and if you need anything call me or call 911. Sid's just finishing up the autopsy and he'll stop by on his way home.. Okay?"_

"Okay but don't worry we're fine. How are Danny and Adam?"

"_Oh they're … great! According to Lindsay Don's finally managed to settle them down with Mario Karting though judging from the background noise they were getting a little competitive!"_ Sheldon chuckled. _"Well I guess it was better than Guitar Hero. Oh and by the way, you may want to switch on the evening news."_

"Why?"

"_Let's just say that the chief didn't manage to shut down Victoria the Vulture fast enough."_

Jo frowned. _Victoria the Vulture?_

.

Sheldon ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket. He pulled on a pair of latex gloves and began to pull out the evidence he had taken from the crime scene and lay it out on the tables in front of him. Further down the room two lab techs from the night-shift were already cataloguing the evidence that Mac and Danny had stowed in their kits. Sheldon shook his head in consternation as he lifted out a bag of air-fresheners shaped like traffic lights. He thought back to his conversation with Jo, his brows drawing together in a puzzled frown.

"Cute?!"

.

"Seriously the Giants and Betty Boop?" Don glanced at Lindsay as he kept an eye on Adam and Danny sitting next to one another on the couch both intent on the two cars whizzing around the screen. "It's sacrilegious!"

"Quit complaining. At least he dressed himself." Lindsay rolled her eyes as she crammed wet clothes into the washing basket. "Danny's Aunt Jane. She always sends the strangest gifts." She nodded to the door where a red polka dot apron hung from a hook. "I got that and Danny got Betty Boop. At least he's never worn them and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to let Adam keep them." Lindsay broke off from what she was doing. "Er … Don?"

"Mm?" Don continued staring at the on-screen battle.

"You're eating Lucy's breakfast."

Don turned to look back at Lindsay and then down at his hands surprised to find himself with one hand in a box of Lucky Charms. "Oh, er … sorry!" He put the cereal back on the counter looking sheepish.

"I'll make you a sandwich."

Don brightened up immediately.

"YES! I AM THE BEST!" Adam squealed from the other room.

"REMATCH. I DEMAND A REMATCH!"

Don pushed himself away from the door frame and trotted off to make sure the children didn't start fighting. Again. Lindsay sighed as her next-door neighbour banged on the wall. Again. Quite how Lucy was managing to sleep through all of this was beyond her. She could only hope that they would tire themselves out soon.

.

Jo was wondering if Mac was okay when the radio was switched off and the door opened. Although he hadn't dried himself completely he was dressed in the jogging pants. Jo frowned as she caught sight of an ugly scar on his chest. She had seen enough wounds in her time to know that it was the result of a bullet. However the man who emerged from the bathroom was completely different to the one who had entered. He paused on the threshold, one hand gripping the frame and the other pressed to his forehead. He looked lost and bewildered.

"Mac?" He looked at her blankly causing a ball of anxiety to settle in the pit of her stomach. "Mac. It's okay. Just come and sit down."

"Jo?" He looked around. "How did I … I shouldn't be here … I'm sorry." He pushed past her and headed for the door.

Jo felt a moment of panic despite the fact that she had locked the door. He was a lot stronger than her and she couldn't force him to stay. Perhaps she should have asked Sheldon or Sid to come but then she doubted that either of them could stop Mac Taylor either. She didn't want to have to call 911 if she didn't absolutely have to. She forced herself to remain calm. "Mac. Come and sit down. Please." He hesitated. "Mac, you're not yourself. There was an explosion. At the crime scene. Remember?"

Mac paused in the middle of the room. He wavered slightly. Gently she approached him and took his arm and guided him to the couch. He sat down and buried his face in his hands. She watched as his fingers dug into his scalp. She winced as his knuckles turned white. He muttered something under his breath and began to rock backwards and forwards. Jo dropped to her knees rubbing her fingers over his hands. She gently prised his fingers away and gasped as he raised his eyes to hers. The pain and torment in them was almost too much for her to bear "I killed them."

"What?" Shocked by his admission, her voice shook despite her best intentions. "Who?"

But Mac's attention had already wandered. "Where am I?" he asked looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. She felt him tense, his eyes flicking around. Suddenly he pulled away from her and his hands balled into fists. He was going into fight or flight mode.

"Mac, you're in my apartment. You're perfectly safe. Look at me!" His eyes flicked back to hers. "Look at me! You're safe, here with me."

For a moment it was as though he didn't know her but then recognition showed on his face. "Jo!" He began to relax. "Jo."

"Okay?" she asked as her phone began to ring again. He nodded squeezing his eyes closed. Jo sighed with relief. She dashed to grab the phone. "Sheldon?" She listened as Sheldon updated her without taking her eyes off Mac. "Okay thanks." She hung up the phone. "Great!" she muttered to herself. "Sudden mood swings, hallucinations and anxiety attacks. Now he tells me." She crossed back to the couch. "Mac, are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

He was still wary, looking around like a cornered animal. "Are they here? Can you see them?" he asked in a whisper looking around for an unseen enemy.

Jo paused confused. "Who? Mac?"

Suddenly he jumped up, slammed a hand at the light-switch plunging the room into darkness. Jo felt him grab her, pulling her down behind the couch. She let out a cry of surprise and he slapped a hand over her mouth. "Sh! They're close." She struggled but he held her tight. Jo forced herself to relax despite the fear that was welling up inside her. She couldn't help but feel afraid of him, of his strength. She couldn't speak as his hand remained over her mouth, his other arm tight across her stomach. He was sitting with his back to the couch, Jo pulled hard against his chest. She could feel the heat from his skin through her shirt. He drew his legs up either side of her, boxing her in. His breath was hot against her cheek as he spoke, his voice low and menacing. "They attacked the base. They're coming for me."

"Mmm." Jo tried to speak but he tightened his grip, her fear growing with every second but when he spoke again it evaporated leaving her breathless and trembling.

"Sh! It's all right. I'll keep you safe. I love you Jo."

.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N : Thank you once again for the lovely reviews and the follows/favourites. **

**Chapter 6  
**

Ellie inserted her key into the lock and tiptoed into the hall half hoping that her mom had already gone to bed. She was much later than she had intended. Her hopes evaporated as the lights still blazed throughout the apartment. Ellie kicked off her boots and tossed them into the closet. Just as she was closing the door something caught her eye. She reopened the door and peered at the black men's shoes in the cupboard. She arched an eyebrow wondering who they belonged to. Quietly she closed the cupboard and went to the living room. The lights were all on and the TV was on in the corner. A reporter was on screen talking about the explosion at the car-wash. Ellie had heard part of the report on the radio in the cab on the way home. The scene switched to a grainy picture of two men dancing around under a huge jet of water. Idiots, thought Ellie to herself.

A strange smell pervaded the apartment. Ellie sniffed. She glanced over at the stove and realized that a pan was sitting there. She went over and peered at it, recoiling at the blackened congealed mess in the bottom that looked like it had once been pasta sauce. She went in search of her mom. She stopped short as she passed the bathroom door that stood ajar. She wiggled her toes and looked at the dark patches on the bottom of her socks. The carpet was wet. She pushed open the bathroom door, her eyes widening at the state of it. It looked like world war three. There were towels and clothes all over the floor. Men's clothes. The bath was full of water. A first-aid kit had been abandoned on the side and the waste basket contained blood-stained cloths.

Someone stepped out of her mom's room. Ellie froze, her mouth and eyes opening wide. "Sid?"

Sid Hammerback raised a finger to his lips. "Sh!" The absolute horror on her face told him how much she was reading into the situation. He beckoned her over and pointed to the room raising his finger to his lips once more. Warily Ellie walked to wards him. The door was wide open. Ellie gazed at the bed. Her mother, curled up on the pillows smiled back at her. Ellie's eyebrows almost reached her hairline as she looked at the semi-naked form lying asleep in her mother's arms. Jo looked at her daughter then down at Mac and then back to her daughter whose face carried so many emotions it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Carefully she eased herself off the bed and tiptoed towards the door but paused and went back to the bed to pull the covers up a little. Mac groaned slightly and pushed them away. Jo shrugged and headed back to the door closing it behind her.

"I can explain," she began.

Ellie looked at mother and Sid in utter astonishment. Oh this was going to be good.

.

"Whoa! Okay! Break it up! Break it up!" Don pulled Danny and Adam apart. "Time Out!." He looked up helplessly at Lindsay as Adam tried to take another swipe at Danny.

"Okay. Time to divide and conquer." She stuck a hand on her hip. "Oh Danny!" she sang. Danny looked up at her over the back of the couch. Lindsay drew her lips into a sexy little pout and curled a beckoning finger. A big smile spread across his face and Danny immediately dropped the cushion he had been using to pummel Adam with and scrambled over the back of the couch. "Good boy!" She gave him a push down the corridor and steered him towards their room. No sooner had they entered than Danny spun round and grabbed her planting a hungry kiss on her lips. It took more than a few seconds to come up for air. "Whoa, slow down there tiger." She pushed him firmly onto the bed. "I've just got to go check on the children. I'll be right back. Don't move!" Lindsay closed the door behind her and tried to catch her breath. "Wow!" She smoothed down her top and attempted to straighten her hair. "Okay! I got this!"

She ran to check on Lucy who was thankfully fast asleep. She kissed her daughter and pulled the door closed. As she headed back to the living room her steps faltered. All was quiet. Too quiet. She tiptoed forward wondering if they'd gone to sleep. The TV was on with the sound switched off. Don and Adam were sat on the couch their heads close together. Lindsay listened. She could hear a quiet tapping. She crept up behind them. Don was watching Adam tap away on her laptop.

Lindsay peered at the screen. "What are you doing?"

Both men jumped looking at her like they they had been caught doing something they shouldn't. "Just looking at the Knicks website," muttered Don guiltily. Lindsay narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, there's a back-door. You can get all kinds of stuff..."

"Adam!" hissed Lindsay. She grabbed the laptop from him. "No hacking!"

"It's not hacking ..." Adam looked a little bashful. "...technically..." He broke off as Lindsay fixed him with a death glare. "...speaking," he squeaked. Don pouted. He'd been hoping to see the roster for the following week's match not to mention the possibility of upping his chances of winning free tickets.

"Just behave yourselves. Go to sleep." Lindsay pointed to the hall closet. "There are spare covers and pillows on the top shelf." She switched off the kitchen light and gave them a last warning glare before stomping off back to her room, the laptop tucked firmly under her arm. Don and Adam stared balefully after her.

"I'm not tired," moaned Don.

"Me neither," Adam reached over the side of the couch and rummaged around in a box of video games. He sat up holding a box looking hopefully at Don. "Viva Piñata?"

Don grinned. "Only if I get to be Franklin Fizzlybear!"

"Done!" They reached for the games controllers.

.

Lindsay switched off the corridor light and stepped into her room. Only one small bedside lamp was on. The clock beside it showed that it was almost midnight. Sheldon had said that the effects should begin to wear off after about six to eight hours and as soon as the high was over they would hopefully crash. She hoped that it would be sooner rather than later. Sleep sounded good to her. She was exhausted.

Danny, however, clearly wasn't. He grinned at her as he lay in bed propped up on one elbow, his discarded clothes strewn all over the room. "Hey there babe!" He lifted a hand. "Ready for bed?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Lindsay sighed as she saw her little black negligee dangling from his finger. She stared at him for a moment and then tossed the laptop onto the chair.

"Oh what the hell? At least Mac won't know if I'm late for my shift." She grinned cheekily at her husband. "Striptease?" she offered.

"Oh … Mon … tana!"

.

Ellie stared at her mother in astonishment then she thought back to the TV report she had seen earlier. She smothered a grin. "That was Danny and Adam?" Jo and Sid nodded. "Are they going to be okay?"

"They're going to be fine." Sid pulled a face. "They will probably feel pretty rough for the next day or so but as long as they rest and eat sensibly, they'll get over it."

"Do people always go like crazy when they take drugs? I mean do crazy stuff?"

Again Sid nodded. "Yes they do. The psychological effects of methamphetamine can include euphoria, anxiety, increased ..." Sid had been going to say libido but changed his mind given the age of his audience. "... increased energy and self-esteem. Often people are over-confident, highly sociable but also irritable, sometimes aggressive and sometimes ..." Again he paused to look at Jo. "... sometimes they suffer from hallucinations and paranoia. It can affect different people in different ways."

"Are they dangerous? I mean people who take drugs."

"Yes, they can be." Sid answered her gravely.

"Mac's not though, is he?"

"No, no. He's going to sleep now. For quite some time." Sid smiled warmly at her. "And so should you … and your mother. I'll stay for a while and keep an eye on him and I'll come back again in the morning."

Ellie smiled. Jo nodded at her to go to bed. "Okay, night Sid. Night Mom."

Sid waited until her door was closed. "Are you all right?"

Jo nodded. "I'm fine." Sid looked at her intently. She let out a deep breath. "I am now. I'm glad you came when you did. I have to admit there was a moment … just a moment when he scared me. I didn't know what was going on in his head. It was as though he was somewhere else entirely. He kept talking about someone coming to get him, a base that was attacked."

Sid nodded slowly. "Memories from his time as a Marine resurfacing. He didn't hurt you?"

Jo smiled. "No. No he told me he'd protect me." Her smile broadened as did Sid's when he read in her eyes that that wasn't the only thing Mac had told her.

"Now why doesn't that surprise me?"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N : Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and the follows/favourites. **

**Epilogue  
**

"Well, I'll be off then." Sid looked between Mac sitting dejectedly at the table nursing a strong cup of coffee and Jo who stood in the doorway with an enigmatic smile on her face. "You … er … take it easy Mac." Mac nodded his thanks. Sid felt for him. It was clear that Mac didn't know where to put himself. Sid raised his eyebrows at Jo as he left. "I'll let myself out." Jo smiled at him gratefully.

She waited until she heard the door close. Mac raised his eyes to hers. She watched the colour spread across his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Jo."

"There's nothing to be sorry for Mac."

"I shouldn't have come. I mean, I don't know why I did. I … I … Was I? I mean … did we...?" Jo desperately tried to hold back the laughter that was threatening to explode as he tripped over his words. "I mean, did I … say anything … do anything ..." He pressed his lips tight together as he searched desperately for a word. "...inappropriate?" The look of utter mortification on his face was too much for her. She could have mentioned the incident in the bath but she didn't have the heart.

"Mac. It's fine. You were … the perfect gentleman." The look of relief on his face was a sight to behold but Jo couldn't resist a little teasing. "You know you're very cute when you're high!"

Mac's jaw dropped. "Cute?" he spluttered. Jo's laughter finally broke free at the look of horror on his face.

"Just when you thought you were the strong and silent type." Jo laughed again as his mouth opened and closed, no words coming out. "Now have you had something to eat?" He just stared at her as she crossed to the kitchen. "Omelette?"

"I ought to get back to the lab."

"Uh uh! Don't even think about it. Wait till Sinclair's calmed down."

Mac grimaced. "Sinclair?"

"Let's just say he's not too happy that last night's events made the headlines." Jo tossed him a copy of the local paper. Mac picked it up, his eyes widening at the photograph on the front.

"Is that Danny and Adam?" Jo nodded. "What exactly were they ..." He broke off as it dawned on him. "... oh they didn't?" Jo nodded again as a tiny smile played at the edge of his lips. Jo smiled to herself glad to see that he hadn't lost his sense of humour. "Is there anyone at the lab?"

"Don't worry. Sheldon has everything under control. Lindsay and I were in this morning and Don'll back on the case by now. By the way, you know he went in there after the explosion and pulled you out?" Mac looked startled. "Just so you know." Mac nodded. Thanks were in order.

"Is everyone okay?"

Jo rolled her eyes. Mac could be a really mother hen when it came to the team. "Mac! Everyone's fine. You, Danny and Adam got the worst of it. And I expect they're nursing hangovers as bad as yours."

"Tell me about it. I haven't felt this bad since Myrtle beach."

Jo arched a eyebrow. "Myrtle beach?"

Mac's cheeks reddened again at the amusement in her voice and he looked at her sheepishly from under his eyelashes. ""That was a long time ago," he muttered, wincing at the memory.

"Well you can tell me all about it over dinner." Jo turned to smile at him as she pulled eggs from the fridge. "As I still owe you one." Mac frowned not following. She pulled the purple post-it from the counter and placed it on the table in front of him. Mac picked it up and looked at her enquiringly. Then he remembered. They both smiled.

.

The next morning Danny and Adam were sitting huddled at one of the tables in the break room when Mac came in, poured himself a coffee and joined them. "You okay?" he asked thinking that they looked miserable.

"Yeah!" Mac turned as Danny and Adam's eyes followed two lab techs who were walking past. The two girls giggled. Danny and Adam winced. "We're never going to live this down." Danny looked wretched as Adam huffed and buried his reddening face in his hands.

"They'll soon forget about it. Don't worry." Mac tried to sound reassuring.

"Yeah, says you. At least you were sensible and went straight to bed."

Mac shuffled uncomfortably. "Yeah. Just not mine." The words came out of his mouth before he realized what he had said.

Adam lifted his head from his hands and looked at Danny, his eyes asking the unspoken question. Had they heard that right? Danny's eyes widened but he didn't dare ask. At that moment Jo walked past. Mac's eyes followed her progress down the hall. She flashed him a super-smile. She looked like the cat that had got the cream. Danny and Adam both put two and two together.

"You didn't?" breathed Adam unable to contain himself.

Mac winced and tried a half-hearted glare but the look on his face told them they were right.

Danny sniggered. "I hope you behaved yourself."

Mac shot him a full blown glare as though he was outraged by the suggestion that he could have behaved in any other manner than that of a gentleman. There was just one niggling doubt in the back of his mind as images of bubbles popped into his head. It really had been a very good dream.

.

Sheldon Hawkes tried to look sympathetic.

"Oh come on Doc, you can't be serious!" Danny waved his hands in the air.

"Sorry Danny but it's departmental policy. Your blood work-up is formal. The drugs are still in your systems. You three are grounded for at least another twenty-fours. Go home. Watch daytime TV."

Sheldon looked at their faces. Mac looked disgruntled but resigned. He knew the policy. He'd written it. Danny looked thoroughly pissed and Adam definitely wasn't happy. "Can I at least run a few diagnostics on the AV lab computers? Please?" he asked hopefully looking at Mac.

"As long as you don't do anything case-related," stated Mac firmly.

Sheldon looked unhappy. "You should be at home resting. All of you," he added fixing Mac with his best doctor-knows-best look.

Mac frowned. "Danny and I can at least look over the results of what you've got so far ..."

Sheldon waved an imperious hand. "No need. Case closed." All three men stared at him in surprise. "Well, almost closed. Jo and Lindsay have gone to pick up our perps as we speak."

Three jaws dropped simultaneously. "WHAT?"

Sheldon smiled smugly. "Well someone had to process the evidence while you were ..." He cleared his throat. "...indisposed."

.

"NYPD. Open up!"

Sounds of crashing furniture and breaking glass could be heard distinctly through the door. Jo rolled her eyes at Lindsay. "Why do they always have to run?" She nodded to Officer Hames, a big burly guy with twenty years experience. He grinned at her and swung the battering ram at the door. The flimsy lock gave way and the door flew open. Officers Rowe and Jacks took point and Lindsay followed Jo into the apartment just in time to see a curly head disappearing down the fire escape. Rowe kicked in a door to the right while Jacks crossed the living area to the kitchen. Lindsay checked the bathroom to the left.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

Jo followed Rowe. "NYPD. Show me your hands." The scrawny young man sprawling on the bed raised his hands as the young woman screamed and attempted to draw up the sheet to cover herself. Jo grimaced. "Put your pants on! You're under arrest." Rowe raised his eyebrows at Jo as the young man took several attempts at putting on his pants. Jo stared at the young woman. "Get dressed. You're coming too." Rowe nodded and Jo lowered her gun cuffing the man's hands behind his back.

Lindsay leaned out of the window. "NYPD. Stop right there." The man scrambling down the fire escape clad only in a pair of multi-coloured stripy boxer shorts ignored her and carried on running. He reached the bottom section and stepped onto the ladder which rattled as it descended echoing down the alley. The man sneered up at her as he reached the bottom as though to say she was too late. He turned around and froze, his cocky grin disappearing as he found himself nose to nose with a Glock 17.

"Hey there. How you doin'?" Don Flack smiled politely. He glanced down. "Nice underwear."

The man let loose with a flurry of swearwords maligning Flacks parentage. Flack grimaced. "Tuurn around. Hands behind your back."

.

Mac smiled to himself as he watched her through the two way window. The two men sat next to one another dressed in identical disposable jump suits. Don Flack leaned nonchalantly against the door while Jo carefully placed a file on the desk in front of them.

"Gladstone Peel," began Jo. The scrawny young man stared down at the floor. "Night manager at the Manhattan Gold Star Car Wash. You knew all about the drugs lab under the car-wash." It was a statement not a question. He didn't respond. "You sold the drugs hidden inside the air-fresheners." Jo pulled out an evidence bag with a traffic-light shaped air-freshener inside. Both men glanced at the bag. "We tested these. Positive for Methamphetamine."

Jo turned her attention to the man who had escaped down the fire escape. The family similarity was glaring. "Wilberforce Peel. Chemist. You may have thought that your little explosion would wip out the evidence but we're really good at what we do and we have your prints on at least a dozen pieces of equipment that we recovered from the lab. You manufactured the drugs and your brother sold them." He sighed resigned. "And you are responsible for the murder of Wilson Baldwin."

"What?"

"No!" The two men glared at her.

"I think Wilson Baldwin discovered your lab but he didn't call the police. He called you Gladstone. Phone records show that he called you forty minutes before he was killed" The young man hung his head in shame. "And you called your brother." Jo focussed her attention on Wilberforce. "I think you went to confront him. He told you he'd found out your secret and you panicked and you grabbed the first thing that came to hand. A plumber's wrench used to turn off the water supply when the car wash was being maintained." She slapped down another picture of a large tool with thick plastic handles. "We found this in a dumpster a block from your apartment. Along with the tape from the security camera. You may have tried to wipe the prints from the wrench Wilberforce but we still found traces of your DNA along with traces of Wilson Baldwin's blood. And Gladstone, we know you were there too. Your prints are on the tape and on the button from the tape recorder." Gladstone opened his mouth to speak. "Oh don't tell me that a lawyer will argue that your prints would have been on there anyway and that it's circumstantial because I happen to have a very smart lab tech who is, as we speak, digitally restoring the images on that tape." Both men shrank visibly.

"How did he find out?" Gladstone whispered, almost to himself.

"The same way my colleagues found out. "Jo placed a photograph in front of them. A picture of a small yellow post-it note with a number on it that showed two prints in bright pink dust. "He went to get sugar for his coffee when he noticed this note stuck under the cabinet. Your new cell phone number Gladstone. The one you gave to your brother. It couldn't have blown under there. It was stuck to the floor so the cabinet was moved onto it and when you look closely at the floor you can see the scrape marks where it was opened and closed repeatedly."

"A post-it note?" Gladstone glared at Wilberforce. "You've got be kiddin' me."

.

Jo was rather disappointed to discover that the lab was virtually empty by the time she got back from the precinct. Lindsay and Danny had already gone home. Sheldon was handing over to the night-shift and Adam was nowhere to be seen. More disappointingly nor was Mac. She sat at her desk, put the final touches to the reports and stacked them all in a folder. She sighed wondering if Ellie would fancy going for a burger after soccer practise. As she glanced at her watch she realized that Ellie wouldn't be finished for at least another two hours. She shuffled a few papers around her desk pretending to tidy it then something caught her eye. She glanced at the screen of her computer. A flurry of multi-coloured notes decorated the edges of the screen but one, a bright azure blue was affixed firmly to the centre.

_'Dinner? My place?'_

Jo smiled as she recognized the writing. She pulled out her cell phone, leaned back in her chair and tapped out a message. A wicked little grin crossed her face as she hit send.

.

Mac Taylor chopped up some mushrooms and added them to the sauce. He sniffed appreciatively at the delicate aromas and put the lid on the pan and turned down the heat. Turning his back on it he went to the counter to open the wine nodding with approval at the dinner table he had set for two. He was confident that she would come as he knew that Ellie would be at soccer practise and Don had called half an hour ago to say that they'd finished processing their two perps. Mac pulled the cork out with a pop and poured a little into a glass. He took a sip. Perfect. He placed the bottle next to the second glass. His phone buzzed on the counter. Mac picked it up smiling as he saw it was a message from Jo. He tapped on the icon as he took another sip of his wine.

Wine sprayed everywhere as he read what she written. He stood staring at the message in disbelief, his cheeks colouring as he did so.

It really had been a very good dream!

**The end.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**A/N: I'm going to be taking a break from CSI: NY to go play in another sandbox but Mac will be back in a new adventure soon**


End file.
